Former Lobo Basketball Coach Gary Colson Passes

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – Former New Mexico men’s basketball head coach Gary Colson passed away on Friday at the age of 89.

Colson was the head coach of the Lobos for eight seasons from 1980-88, posting a 146-106 record. He led New Mexico to five straight NIT appearances from 1984-88, including a quarterfinal appearance in his final season at UNM in 1988. Colson was the 1984 WAC Coach of the Year after leading the Lobos to 24 wins and their first winning season in five years.

Colson, who was inducted into the UNM Hall of Honor in 2005, coached three of the top nine career scorers in Lobo history; Luc Longley, Hunter Greene and Rob Robbins. He also coached the New Mexico record holder in career assists (Darrell McGee), career steals (Kelvin Scarborough) and career blocks (Longley).

In addition to his tenure at New Mexico, Colson was also the head coach at Valdosta State (1958-68), Pepperdine (1968-79) and Fresno State (1990-95), massing 563 career victories over his 34-year head coaching career. Following his coaching career, he spent time as the Assistant to the President of Basketball Operations of the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA.

A former member of two NCAA committees (rules and officiating), Colson helped effectively lobby to bring the three-point shot to college basketball in 1986.

A native of Logansport, Ind., Colson graduated from Lipscomb in 1956 and is a member of the Lipscomb Athletics Hall of Fame. He earned his master’s from Vanderbilt in 1958.